Saturday, January 31, 2009

Very well then, what was THE MOST TRAGICAL TRAGEDY That ever was Tragedized BY ANY Company of Tragedians? Why, it was Chrononhotonthologos. Naturally. By Henry Carey (c1687-1743) but variously published under the pseudonym Benjamin Bounce, esq., or Robert Carey. Full text at the link! Thanks to commenter Sam Kelly at Making Light.

Help for pale people is on the way: Suntan Drug Greenlighted for Trials. Not a lotion that turns you yellow, but an injection that promotes production of melanin. Now see if the stuffy old FDA will let anyone use it. (via)

This time I am going to link the whole darn Friday Odd Links list from The Corner. Oh—I just did! Dr. Mengele; the far side of the moon; brewer's droop found to be mythical; and more.

I strongly approve of the original Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Truth in labeling, keeping the poisons out, yes please, no anti-freeze in the soda-pop. But the Iron Laws of Bureaucracy have led the FDA (along with the rest of a once relatively agile government) to overgrow its mission. Oh, that's it, "mission creep" is the cliché I was looking for.

Randy, thanks for mentioning Sidney Wolfe. An FDA run by Naderites will be ideal for the Obama administration. Hope is all they have to peddle, and soon it will be the only thing legal to prescribe!